More... Published: Sat May 27 22:54:18 EDT 2000

''Some powerful countries which want to get foothold in the region are helping the Tamil rebels in its fight against us,`` Mr Rajpaksa told PTI.

He, however, did not divulge the names of such countries saying ''I would not be able to pinpoint those countries but definitely some powerful countries are there. Otherwise they (LTTE) would not have been able to sustain their offensive against a full- fledged army.`` More.. Published: Sat May 27 18:13:52 EDT 2000

Cricket has been quite low key, with the practice of both hosts Bangladesh and defending champions Sri Lankans -- both of whom are to clash in the opener tomorrow -- being severely curtailed.

''The rains have certainly hampered our practice,`` admitted Sri Lankan skipper Sanath Jayasuriya. The Lankans haven`t had any cricket since their historic Test and one-day series wins over Pakistan in Pakistan in January-February earlier this year and so they certainly could have done with more practice here. More.. Published: Sat May 27 18:13:53 EDT 2000

A senior military official, when contacted for the reaction to the LTTE's offer, said: ''I can't comment on an LTTE statement, which appeared on Internet. Definitely, they (LTTE) have not informed the army. Even if they are willing to hold a cease-fire, there are certain procedures. They army has to be informed. Then we will have to discuss about the offer.'' More.. Published: Sat May 27 18:00:49 EDT 2000

Analysts feel that if such indecisiveness continues, India could eventually find itself eased out of the arena altogether with imponderable consequences for its own security and position as the regional power. More.. Published: Sat May 27 17:53:48 EDT 2000

Sri Lankan Minister for Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, Mahinda Rajapaksa, told reporters in the northern hill resort of Dehradun that Sri Lankans were unlikely to accept the Norwegians as impartial peacemakers More.. Published: Sat May 27 17:47:59 EDT 2000

The government accused the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of a propaganda war in the face of heavy counter attacks by government forces in Jaffna. More.. Published: Sat May 27 17:42:45 EDT 2000

The chief of the formidable Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam set a noon GMT Friday deadline for the Sri Lankan government troops to surrender their weapons. Prabhakaran asked some 37,000 Sri Lankan soldiers to give up their weapons and, within 24 hours, the solders would be handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The Sri Lankan government rejected a similar offer made by the LTTE a week ago. This time the government did not bother to respond to the announcement. Instead, it armed its troops with more sophisticated weapons and claimed that the soldiers stalled the rebels' advance toward Jaffna. More.. Published: Sat May 27 17:39:01 EDT 2000

"Prabhakaran is the most determined and ruthless man I have met. And his foresight is amazing. He sees today what his opponents do years later." More.. Published: Sat May 27 17:33:07 EDT 2000

a 'canard` which has no response from the soldiers or civilians in Jaffna. More... Published: Sat May 27 13:55:53 EDT 2000

More... Published: Sat May 27 13:55:53 EDT 2000

guerillas in Colombuthurai on Friday. Five guerillas were killed in isolated clashes elsewhere, a situation report issued by the government's information department on Saturday

morning said. It did not mention the unilateral ceasefire offered by

the LTTE for 12 hours on Saturday. More... Published: Sat May 27 13:53:01 EDT 2000

The Tamil Tigers, described as one of the ruthless terrorist organization in the world on Saturday morning ordered the civilians either to leave the battle-scarred areas or dig bunkers to save themselves.

Orders went out; just an hour after the LTTE clandestine radio, the Voice of Tigers (VOT) in its news bulletin gave government troops in northern Jaffna peninsula just 12 hours to pack-off or face consequences.

Tamil Tigers first ordered the troops to withdraw by Friday, but extended the deadline as troops provided with newly purchased standoff weapons dug new bunker lines to prevent any onslaught by Tiger rebels, now on the doorstep of Jaffna peninsula.

A military official said here that troops were determined to hold on to Jaffna and under no circumstances would withdraw. In support of military official's statement, the Sri Lankan foreign minister Lakshman Kadiragamar in an interview with a weekly English newspaper The Weekend Express said, "army will take all necessary steps to see an end to terrorism in Jaffna peninsula".

Kadiragamar, told the newspaper further that although, the troops suffered setbacks, and they were determined to hit back at the LTTE.

"One cannot at this point of time be actually sure of the reasons for the setbacks the army has suffered, but notwithstanding these setbacks, the army is determined to acquit itself in the battles that lie ahead", the minister told the newspaper.

Meanwhile, the government said here that in the ongoing battles that commenced on April 27, at least 750 LTTE cadres have been killed and over 1,000 wounded. The army estimates that at least 400 soldiers had been killed in the ongoing fighting. Published: Sat May 27 11:20:06 EDT 2000

"I hope India will co-operate with us. Most people of Sri Lanka feel that India can settle this problem forever by bringing the LTTE to the table," Rajapaska, who is in Uttar Pradesh for the inauguration of a post-graduate diploma course in human rights at the Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra, open for SAARC countries, told reporters last evening More... Published: Sat May 27 11:02:37 EDT 2000

Army spokesman Brig Palitha Fernando said the troops would continue their fight to liberate certain areas in Jaffna occupied by the LTTE, irrespective of the unilateral cease-fire declared by them. More... Published: Sat May 27 10:56:44 EDT 2000

However, there was no independent confirmation of the ceasefire. Reports from Colombo said the Sri Lankan Army stepped up ground attacks on various rebel positions, killing 13 Tamil guerrillas as the LTTE deadline asking the besieged 30,000 troops to withdraw from Jaffna expired at 6 pm on Friday. More.. Published: Sat May 27 04:06:09 EDT 2000

Since hydro reservoir levels of the country continue to deteriorate, there is a possibility of a power crisis arising as a consequence and remedial measures should be immediately taken to conserve electricity in order to overcome the situation, Arijun Deraniyagala, Chairman of CEB, said at a press conference organized by the Ministry of Irrigation and Power. More.. Published: Sat May 27 04:02:47 EDT 2000

The Tiger statement said that "Ever since the offensive campaign began for the liberation of Jaffna, the Tamil Tigers have been advising the Tamil civilian masses in the combat zones to move to secure areas to avoid being caught in the crossfire."

The LTTE claim that it has also approached the International Committee of the Red Cross and other human rights organisations in the peninsula to help to evacuate civilians to safe areas.

At the time of filing this report the ICRC could not confirm if indeed it had received such a request from the Tigers. Published: Fri May 26 23:39:26 EDT 2000

The President however reiterated that in the event the ground situation in Jaffna were to deteriorate, she could not let the LTTE hack to death nearly 30,000 soldiers. In which case, the government would make the necessary decision to meet such an eventuality, she said. Published: Fri May 26 23:39:27 EDT 2000

V. Anandasagari, Secretary for the TULF has asked that the discussion with the President on proposed constitutional reforms be put on hold until the current crisis in the northern peninsula improves. The joint discussion scheduled last Thursday May 25, was postponed for Monday as the President was unwell. Published: Fri May 26 23:39:27 EDT 2000

In six months' time, the boy will leave his home province of Batticaloa in eastern Sri Lanka and travel out, perhaps to Colombo. There, he will strap a belt filled with explosives across his slight body and walk steadily toward a congested traffic light or a public meeting somewhere in the city. When he reaches his destination, Vasantha will press a button attached to his belt and instantly detonate an explosion that will kill him and possibly dozens of those around him. More... Published: Fri May 26 22:45:33 EDT 2000

Latest reports said that 14 of the LTTE were killed in Nagarkovil, Navatkuli and other areas, even as the LTTE continued to launch sporadic artillery and mortar attacks on defences manned by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) troops in Chavakachcheri. More... Published: Fri May 26 21:56:50 EDT 2000

File photo of USS Elliot, a Destroyer in 5th fleet

According to well-placed sources here the Fifth Fleet consists of three to four ships, including a guided missile destroyer, a frigate and support ships. The sources said these ships are likely to move around in the south Arabian Sea from where the US can monitor developments in the conflict zone. More... Published: Fri May 26 20:33:05 EDT 2000

The ceasefire announcement, to run from 1000 local time (0400GMT) on Saturday, came after UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed for the safety of civilians - numbering nearly 500,000 on the peninsula - and for humanitarian workers to have safe passage.. More.. Published: Fri May 26 16:56:43 EDT 2000

heavy artillery fire at rebel positions. The artillery attacks came in retaliation for sporadic rebel shelling and mortar attacks on army defenses in the Chavakachcheri area north of Jaffna, Sri Lankan spokesman and chief government censor Ariya Rubasinghe said Thursday. More.. Published: Fri May 26 12:40:07 EDT 2000

Military officials in Colombo said that there were no reports of fighting in Jaffna peninsula on Friday morning, but expected large-scale attacks on government forces as the deadline to withdraw was closing-in.

On Wednesday, Tamil rebels appealed in their clandestine radio, the Voice of Tigers, to all soldiers in northern Jaffna peninsula to withdraw by Friday if not face the bloodiest consequences in the 18 years of war.

President Chandrika Kumaratunge responding to the appeal said in an interview with Hindu newspaper it was a "joke". But the military officials said that all troops in the peninsula were put on alert and in a pre-emptive action, ground attack air crafts known as Kfirs were strafing LTTE artillery positions along the highway, that links Jaffna and Vavuniya.

Amidst fears of heavy fighting, the US and French naval ships were anchored off the coast of Sri Lanka to monitor the situation. Tamil Tiger rebels are fighting to create an independent homeland for minority Tamils for the past 18 years which had left over 75,000 people killed. Published: Fri May 26 02:40:21 EDT 2000